Product Description

Review

Praise for Janet Evanovich

“No less than her plotting, Evanovich’s characterizations are models of screwball artistry. . . . The intricate plot machinery of her comic capers is fueled by inventive twists.”—The New York Times“Chutzpah and sheer comic inventiveness . . . The Evanovich/Plum books [are] good fun.”—The Washington Post

From the Trade Paperback edition.

Product Description

Where there’s smoke there’s fire, and no one knows this better than New Jersey bounty hunter Stephanie Plum.

Dead bodies are showing up in shallow graves on the empty construction lot of Vincent Plum Bail Bonds. No one is sure who the killer is, or why the victims have been offed, but what is clearis that Stephanie’s name is on the killer’s list.

Short on time to find evidence proving the killer’s identity, Stephanie faces further complications when her family and friends decide that it’s time for her to choose between her longtime off-again-on-again boyfriend, Trenton cop Joe Morelli, and the bad boy in her life, security expert Ranger. Stephanie’s mom is encouraging Stephanie to dump them both and choose a former high school football star who’s just returned to town. Stephanie’s sidekick, Lula, is encouraging Stephanie to have a red-hot boudoir “bake-off.” And Grandma Bella, Morelli’s old-world grandmother, is encouraging Stephanie to move to a new state when she puts “the eye” on Stephanie.

With a cold-blooded killer after her, a handful of hot men, and a capture list that includes a dancing bear and a senior citizen vampire, Stephanie’s life looks like it’s about to go up in smoke.

BONUS: This edition contains an excerpt from Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg's The Heist.

When you want a great story with really identifiable characters Janet Evanovitch's Stephanie Plum series is a fantastic choice. I laugh out loud. A couple of monthsago I lent the first three of the books to a neighbor and his wife said I don't know what he is reading but he is laughing out loud. These are really relaxing booksto read. The story is always great, the characters are funny and there is some smokin romance going on. I love these books and am thrilled that the movieOne for the Money is coming out, Keep them coming Janet!!!!

I purchased this book through Amazon.ca, as it had great reviews, and I love reading mystery suspense thrillers. I was very disappointed.I found the novel to be flimsy when it comes to plot and character development.I have never read anything else from the Stepanie Plum Novel Series, and maybe this is the problem.

Stephanie Plum is a bond enforcer for her cousin Vinny,and after Vinnie's Bail Bonds burned down and he had no money or influence to build it back up,Vinnie returns to his wife and connected father-in-law and is able to rent stoner Mooner's trailer as his temporary place of business.

Dead bodies start piling up. Some are dedicated to Stephanie. And she is being romanced by a new swain who is a great cook, but too overheated for Stephanie's taste (especially since he is mother-approved). Joe Morelli's Grandma Bella puts a curse on Stephanie so that she becomes a sex maniac, and she has a hard time choosing between Joe and Ranger.

Sorry I couldn't rate it higher. Even though there were funny scenes in the book,I didn't find the plot developed enough.

Vinnie's bail bond office is on the move, literally, on wheels. Getting to work is a little more difficult when you have no idea where it's been parked. The bail bonds office was recently burned down, and now dead bodies are showing up in the empty construction site. It seems that the culprit is out to get Stephanie. Business is bad, and Vinnie tries to market the office. Lula and Stephanie's picture are plastered all over the bus -a very altered picture. Among Stephanie's work issues, are her many personal issues- two men that she can't choose from, a mother pressuring her to marry and a grandmother who tries to open the caskets when the lids are closed. Stephanie Plum is still a lucky bounty hunter, she's gaining a little more skill but she mostly relies on luck.

The seventeenth book was better than the last, but still lacking in character development. I really enjoyed the read, but I really want to see Stephanie progress is life. She needs to choose a man, or settle down. I've read all seventeen books and I'm getting a little bored. I still love the books, but I don't enjoy them as much as I use to. I'm team Ranger but at this point, I would be team-anyone. The recycled ideas keep coming back, the characters are still hilarious, I just need more... Book eighteen will be out in November, I'm hoping I'll get some closure or some progression.

First of all, the books can be read separately, but it makes much more sense if you read them in sequence. I read one to 18 from January to May and am waiting for my hold on 19 (the latest one) to be available through the library. It's been come a "to do" list item at this point.

I rated number 17 as four stars (generous overall but you have to like the series) because I thought it was one of the better books in the saga. I don't read them for the mystery as much as for the romance and character humour. And since I favour Ranger over Morrelli, I liked that Stephanie let down her guard with him (thanks to the spell by Bella).

The author needs to stop teasing fans and keep them invested by making Stephanie choose a future already!! I would at least make her take college night courses to be a PI. Evanovich needs to create a scope wider than rehashing and remixing the same storyline 20 times, otherwise I think I'll bail soon.

After a few duds Janet is back on track with this one. To refer to the bad review above, who reads these for the plot? These books are about character, and character interplay. And this book has it all.

There is Grandma who is in good form again. Of course there is Ranger and Morelli---and they even have to work together.

There are some great scenes with Stephanie and Ranger.

And then there is Dave, someone who has family in the Burg and comes to live with them after something happened to his business elsewhere. Everyone is trying to match up Dave and Stephanie. Dave loves to cook and turns up unannounced at Stephanie's to cook dinner.

If you're a fan of the Plum novels then you'll have to agree that the best part of the series was in the first ten to twelve with the last five or so being the same hamster wheel. However, this story while not particularly 'mysterious' actually had some character development and the hijinks were back to being funny rather than slapstick. While the storyline seemed hurried and there were ample opportunities for more development of the characters that was missed or just brushed by, this is a return to the Plum I fell in love with to begin with. Funny without being ridiculous, interesting characters without the same old, same old and a hope that eighteen will bring Stephanie full circle and onto a fresh and funny new journey. If you're looking for entertainment, laughs and a solid read then this book will not disappoint.